No More Fear
by Black Raider
Summary: "You want to live? You want you and your brother to go free?" Gargamel demanded, continuing to send painful electricity through Papa's body. "Then kill him!" "No!" Vexy sobbed, the needle still in her hands. "I can't! I can't kill him!" "Do it now!" Gargamel shouted. What could she do? Could she really kill Papa just for her freedom? How long can she listen to him scream in pain?


**No More Fear**

"_Put him down!" Vexy screamed from her cage, rattling the bars. "Please! Just leave him alone!" She watched, horrified, as Gargamel shoved Hackus into the Smurfalator and turned it on. The pain of having his essence extracted made him scream and shout in pain. Gargamel watched with glee, looking back and forth between Hackus and Vexy. Hackus continued to thrash and grunt, tears in his eyes. Vexy banged against the bars, desperate to reach her brother._

_After a while, Hackus's skin suddenly started paling, his blue tinge slowly disappearing to reveal his gray Naughty skin. Gargamel noticed this, but continued to extract Hackus's essence. The blue tinge continued to fade, creeping up from Hackus's hands and arms and up to his neck. Gargamel waited until only a blue spot remained over Hackus's eye, like an eye patch, before shutting off the machine. The wizard pulled Hackus from the machine and roughly threw him into the cage with Vexy. Vexy gasped, her eyes full of terror and kneeling next to her brother. She held his head in her lap and watched his gray skin turn blue again. But he still gasped and groaned, as though still in pain._

"_Vexy…." Hackus's voice came out a whisper._

"_Oh Hackus." Vexy cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. She held Hackus close, shushing him until he stopped whimpering. "It's okay. I'm here; I'm here, I won't go anywhere."_

"_Except with me!" Gargamel snapped, roughly pulling Vexy from her brother. Though she struggled, Gargamel kept her in a tight grip and slammed the cage door shut._

"_Let me go!" Vexy shouted._

"_Shut up!" Gargamel growled. "Now listen here. You may be a Smurf now, but you still belong to me! Do you want to save your brother from this torture?"_

"_Yes!" Vexy sobbed, unable to control herself. "Yes, I want to save him!"_

"_What will you do to save him?" Gargamel asked casually._

"_Anything!" Vexy insisted. "I will do anything if you just let us go! Or if you just let Hackus go!"_

_Gargamel sneered. "Very well." He walked upstairs to his dressing room, still holding a struggling and sobbing Vexy in his fist. He slammed his mirror door shut and walked across to the vanity at the far end of the room. Vexy stopped struggling for a moment and her eyes widened. She noticed the vanity looked the same, complete with the lamp and various magic objects Gargamel used in his magic act. But she also found Papa Smurf tied to the lamp, his head hanging limply as though he slept. But the look in Gargamel's eyes made Vexy nervous. He promptly dropped Vexy on the vanity and stepped back, fingering his wand._

_Vexy slowly and cautiously crept to Papa Smurf, worried and a little scared about what would happen. But even when she gently shook his shoulder, but elder Smurf didn't look up or even open his eyes. Vexy stepped back and looked to Gargamel. "What did you do to him?"_

"_Nothing much." Gargamel shrugged. "Just a bit of pain he deserved."_

_Vexy narrowed her eyes. "He looks dead."_

"_Oh, he's not." Gargamel assured. "Look." He suddenly sent a small blast of blue electricity, and the volts sharply shocked Papa awake. He groaned a little, struggling to lift his head. He blinked a few times and his eyes locked with Vexy's._

"_Vexy…." Papa breathed. He sounded almost relieved, as though he was worried about Vexy. _But…he can't have already accepted me? _Vexy thought. _Just because I'm a Smurf now.

"_Papa Smurf?" Vexy moved forward, tentatively reaching for Papa. "Are you okay?"_

_Papa smiled softly, but he still had a pained look in his eyes. "I'm fine…just fine….."_

"_Enough talk!" Gargamel snapped, causing Vexy to turn to him. "This is your ultimate test, my little Vexy. I will give you and Hackus your freedom; the two of you can run off to wherever your little heart's desire and I will not bother the two of you."_

"_What do I have to do?" Vexy asked quickly._

_Gargamel smiled evilly. "Kill Papa Smurf."_

_Vexy's eyes widened. "What?!"_

"_It's simple." Gargamel insisted, pulling a sewing needle from a pincushion on a nearby table. "Shove this through his little heart and you and your brother can go." He pushed the needle into Vexy's hands. "Go on, do it."_

_Vexy looked back and forth between the needle and Gargamel. She shook her head. "No…no, I can't!"_

"_Fine." Gargamel shrugged. "Then you and Hackus will remain my prisoners and I will continue to harvest you in my Smurfalator. As for Papa Smurf…" He sent another blue bolt, sending its painful power through Papa's body. Papa grit his teeth in pain, grunting as the wand's power coursed through him._

"_Stop it!" Vexy pleaded. "Stop, you're hurting him!"_

_Gargamel stopped, staring at Vexy. Papa breathed a little hard, his head hung. He tried to lift his head, but he didn't have the strength. Vexy stepped forward, worriedly reaching for the Smurf. Gargamel scoffed. "I can't believe you actually care for him."_

_Vexy didn't speak for a moment. "He doesn't deserve this. He…he has a family to take care of."_

_Gargamel gagged a little. "Listen, Vexy. It's a simple deal. You kill Papa Smurf and I let you and Hackus go free; if I have to kill Papa Smurf, then you will remain my prisoner along with your brother. Make your choice." When Vexy hesitated, Gargamel sent more electricity. This time, Papa screamed, his fingers curling involuntarily and his body convulsing. He looked like he was trying to fight the pain, but the wand was too powerful._

"_No, stop!" Vexy shouted. "Just stop! I'll do it!"_

_Gargamel stopped, smirking. "That's what I thought."_

_Vexy felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she lifted the needle in her hands. She stepped forward, her heart aching. But she took a breath and prepared to plunge the sharp point through Papa Smurf's heart. _It's for Hackus. _She kept reminding herself. _It's for Hackus. _She pressed the point of the needle to Papa's chest, over his heart, and tried to push the needle through. But she trembled and shook, unable to bring herself to do it. Papa looked up and locked eyes with Vexy. His eyes were full of pain and sadness, pleading for his life. Vexy only knew Papa for a short while, but she never imagined his eyes to be filled with such desperation._

"_Do it!" Gargamel shouted._

"_I can't!" Vexy sobbed, the point of the needle still against Papa's chest. "I can't!"_

"_You will do it now!" Gargamel ordered. He launched a powerful blue bolt, sending electricity through Papa's body. The elder Smurf shouted and grunted, struggling against the ropes that held him to the lamp. "If you can kill him before I can, you and Hackus are free!" Gargamel shouted. "Do it! If you truly care about him, end his suffering!"_

_Vexy sobbed uncontrollably, wanting to cover her ears to block out the screams of pain and the shouts of anger. She couldn't push the needle through; but she couldn't stand listening to Papa's screams of pain. "I can't do it! I can't do it!"_

"_Do it now!" Gargamel shouted._

"_I can't!" Vexy screamed in desperation. "I can't! NO!"_

* * *

"NO!" Vexy screamed, bolting upright in her bed and gasping. She clutched her comforter tightly in her fists, fighting sobs.

"Vexy?" Papa called, knocking on the door. "May I come in?"

"C-come in!" Vexy called, her sobs rocking her body and choking her voice. Papa Smurf hurried inside Vexy's mushroom, jogging over to his newest daughter's bed. He noticed her puffy eyes and labored breathing, and his fear rose.

"Vexy?" Papa asked tentatively. "Are you okay?" Vexy, overwhelmed by her dream, suddenly leaped out of bed and wrapped her arms around Papa's neck, sobbing into the crook of his shoulder. Papa shushed her gently, patting her back soothingly. "It's all right, Vexy. I'm here. Did you have an unsmurfy dream?" Vexy only nodded, shaking. "You want to talk about it?" Vexy shook her head, trembling like a rattlesnake's tail. Papa sighed, but only continued to console her. "Perhaps you need some fresh air. Would you like to take a walk with me?"

Vexy pushed away gently and nodded, wiping her eyes dry. "Yes sir."

Papa inwardly sighed when Vexy called him "sir", despite his constant reminders that he was her father now, not just a guardian. But he refrained from correcting her just this once and simply led the way out the door and out into the village. Vexy stayed close behind him, refusing to take his hand when he offered it. She looked around a little nervously, still not accustomed to living in the village. The Smurfs still treated her and Hackus well. Handy made them each their own mushroom house, complete with furniture and dishes. Everysmurf gave each new member of the family a gift: embroidered blankets from Tailor, sweets from Chef, Baker, and Greedy, even portraits of themselves from Painter. Hackus loved being with the Smurfs and hanging out with his new brothers. Vexy loved Smurfette and Hackus and she liked the Smurfs, but she felt….different. Not just because she was born a Naughty, but because she felt a gap of affection between her and her new brothers. Archer tried to help, being one of the few Smurfs that understood Vexy, but her efforts seemed futile. Vexy especially felt the gap between her and her new father. Papa Smurf was a much better father than Gargamel, but Vexy had been so attached to Gargamel she found it hard to truly let go, even after everything Gargamel put her through. Papa showed her much kindness and she tried to return it, but nothing seemed to help. She had terrible nightmares about Gargamel that usually involved Papa Smurf as well.

_When will it end? _Vexy wondered.

"Good morning Papa! Good morning Vexy!"

Vexy jumped, gasping and giving a small scream. Jokey recoiled in surprise. "Gee, I didn't mean to scare you."

Vexy cleared her throat and smoothed out her skirt. "It's okay. I'm fine."

Papa stared worriedly, but turned back to Jokey with a smile. "Good morning, Jokey. Any more surprises this morning?"

"Yep." Jokey nodded.

"JOKEY!"

"Whoops!" Jokey yelped. "Gotta go!" He hurried off further into the village. Seconds later, Baker sped past with his face covered in smurfberry cream pie.

"When I smurf my hands on you, Jokey, I'm gonna smurf you into my oven!" Baker shouted. He skidded to a halt briefly. "Hi Papa, hi Vexy!" He sped off again.

Papa chuckled. "Another day, another Smurf chasing Jokey for his pranks."

Vexy giggled softly. "It would seem so."

"Papa Smurf!" Brainy called as he approached. "Papa Smurf! Handy would like to see you."

"Thank you Brainy." Papa said, walking towards the village square.

"He wants to know how you like the decorations for the party." Brainy called after him. "Even though I assured him they are smurfy and—"

"Thank you Brainy!" Papa said again, making it clear he didn't need an explanation.

Brainy sighed. "Oh well. I best be joining Smartette for tea."

Vexy kept close to Papa as they walked to the village square, but she paused when she saw the setup: tables with pretty white tablecloths, a small stage with a colorful banner across the top, and a myriad of decorations all over the square. "What is this?"

"A party." Papa said.

"What for?" Vexy asked.

"To celebrate a successful mission in bringing home Smurfette." Papa explained. "And to properly welcome you and Hackus into our home."

Vexy blinked. "Really?"

"Of course." Papa nodded. "Smurfs love to party."

"Wow." Vexy breathed. "All this is for me and Hackus?"

"Yes." Papa nodded. "Smurfs have a time to work and a time to play; and tonight is a time to celebrate. If you want, Tailor can smurf you a pretty dress."

"A dress?" Vexy repeated.

"Why not?" Papa shrugged. "He's making a new suit for everyone else in the village."

"But there are over a hundred of us!" Vexy said with surprise. "He's going to make over a hundred little outfits in one day?"

"He's smurfed 'Tailor' for a reason." Papa chuckled. "Go on; his mushroom is the one with a sign that has a needle and thread on it."

Vexy looked nervous. "Are you sure? Would he really make something for me?"

"If you asked nicely." Papa assured. "Go on, now. Don't be shy."

Vexy nodded. "Yes sir."

Papa watched Vexy walk for a moment, and then jogged after her. "Vexy, this is a time of enjoyment. You're supposed to have fun at a time like this. We're your family after all."

Vexy nodded again. "Yes sir. I will." She turned and hurried off, wringing her blue hands. She was still getting accustomed to looking in the mirror and seeing a blue face instead of a gray one. But she loved that she didn't need a drop of essence every night to stay alive. Still, she had a hard time connecting with the other Smurfs besides Smurfette. She didn't even know how she would ask Tailor for a dress. She wanted to look nice for the party, but she had no idea what kind of dress she would wear.

"Ah, there it is." Vexy told herself as she approached Tailor Smurf's house. She pushed the door open. "Hi Tailor Smurf."

"Stop don't look!" Tailor shouted, jumping three feet in the air and covering his work with a length of cloth.

Vexy jumped, landing back on her tail and scrambling backwards. Her back hit the door and closed it. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I…..I…." She stuttered fearfully, pushing herself against the door and too afraid to open it and run away. She curled in a ball and cowered in fear as Tailor approached her.

"Vexy…." Tailor asked tentatively, startled by her reaction to his surprised shout. "Vexy, I didn't mean to scare you. You just surprised me."

Vexy looked up, but flinched again when Tailor extended his hand towards her to help her up. "I-it's okay." Vexy assured as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Are you sure?" Tailor asked.

"Yeah." Vexy nodded hurriedly. "Papa Smurf said I could ask you for a dress if I asked nicely…..and um…"

"I see." Tailor nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm afraid I smurfed you to the punch."

Vexy cocked her head in confusion. "What?"

"I'm already smurfing some party outfits for you and Hackus." Tailor explained, gesturing to his work covered up on the table. "It's supposed to be a surprise for you two."

"Oh." Vexy blinked in surprise at such kindness. "Well, thank you."

"I will have them ready after lunch." Tailor said. "Stop by and I'll have you try on your dress."

"Thanks Tailor Smurf." Vexy said. "I'll see you then." She turned and hurried a little out the door. Tailor raised an eyebrow, a little concerned by Vexy's behavior. But he continued to work on Vexy's dress, sewing lace onto the skirt. He stepped back to admire the dress on the manikin. He nodded, smiling at his handiwork. But he noticed something he could make better and pulled up his needle and thread again.

"Tailor!" Papa called as he knocked on the door. "May I come in?"

"One moment, Papa Smurf!" Tailor quickly covered the two manikins again. "Come in!"

Papa walked inside and greeted Tailor warmly. "How are the suits coming, Tailor?"

"Smurfy, Papa Smurf." Tailor nodded in satisfaction. "I have almost everysmurf's done except Vexy's."

"Good." Papa nodded. "I can't wait to see what you've done."

"I just hope Vexy likes it." Tailor said. "I tried to match it well to her style."

"I'm sure you did well as usual." Papa nodded. He noticed a strange look in Tailor's eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Tailor shook his head. "I just…well, Vexy came in here earlier and she kind of startled me. I may have shouted a little and smurfed her a little. She looked absolutely terrified, even when I tried to help her up."

Papa nodded in understanding. "She didn't get hurt, did she?"

"No." Tailor said. "But she was awfullyl scared. It was like she thought I would hurt her." He thought for a moment. "Now that I think about it, she's been acting like that a lot lately."

"It would seem so." Papa nodded. "Perhaps the party tonight is just what she needs: time with her new family."

Tailor nodded. "I bet she'll have a smurfy time!"

* * *

Vexy brushed out her hair until it was silky smooth and her blue streak stood out in her raven hair. She pulled her blue-gray wool Smurf hat on her head and sighed, mentally preparing herself for the dance tonight. She had to keep an upbeat attitude and a smile on her face, no matter how terrified she would get. She turned to the dress Tailor made, now lying across her bed. She lifted up the dress and held it against her, checking it out in the full length mirrior Vanity Smurf gave her. She sighed and shed her tank stop and skirt, pulling on the dress. When she looked in the mirror again, she smiled for the first time in the week she had been in the village.

Her dress had a Gothic Lolita style. It had short, puffy sleeves and a large, poufy skirt that went to her knees. The black skirt curved up to one side with a bow near her waist and some lace attached to the hem. A longer, ruffled, lacy white skirt showed underneath. It was simple yet elegant, and Vexy loved it. Her black tights and loafers matched perfectly. She spun around, letting the skirt splay out. She smiled and laughed a little.

"Vexy!" Smurfette called from outside. "Come on! We're going to the party!"

"Coming!" Vexy called back, jogging downstairs. She opened the door and smiled at the sight of Smurfette in her sparkling white dress. It was strapless, with a pleated skirt and a pretty ribbon. "Wow. Nice dress."

"I got it in New York, where Patrick and Grace live." Smurfette said, twirling around. "I see Tailor really outsmurfed himself with your dress."

"It's pretty cool." Vexy nodded.

"Come on!" Smurfette urged. "Let's go to the party!"

Vexy giggled a little and allowed Smurfette to drag her to the village square. But as she got closer and closer to the large group of Smurfs, Vexy became more and more nervous. But she swallowed her fear and ventured closer to the party. Smurfs played music onstage, danced on the dance floor, and ate from the tables around the square. Vexy stayed with Smurfette until Hefty invited the blonde girl to the dance floor. Vexy stood by the tables, looking around to the other Smurfs. She spotted Hackus dancing and bouncing around like the goofball he was, laughing with glee. His party suit looked just like his pants and hat, but they were pure white with a black belt and a black coat. But his clothes didn't stay white for long; he started eating soon after and got juice and stains all over his clothes. Vexy giggled, rolling her eyes at her brother's behavior.

"Hiya Vexy!" Clumsy greeted warmly.

"Hey Clumsy Smurf." Vexy waved softly.

"You don't have to call me Clumsy Smurf." Clumsy reminded her. "Just Clumsy is fine."

"Right." Vexy nodded. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Clumsy shrugged. "Hey, you wanna dance?"

"Uh…I don't think so….." Vexy said nervously.

"Aw come on." Clumsy asked, disappointed. "It'll be fun. Come on." He reached for Vexy hurriedly, and she flinched. Clumsy recoiled, startled by her reaction. "Did I hurt you?"

"I…I don't think so…" Vexy said.

Clumsy cocked his head in confusion. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." Vexy nodded hurriedly. "I'm going to…get something to eat." She turned to the tables, but Crazy Smurf suddenly let out a loud, joyful wail. Because he stood almost right behind her, Vexy jumped in surprise and fell backwards, hitting one of the tables and causing the cake at the end to fly high in the air. Vexy and Clumsy and Crazy hurriedly dodged bits of food coming at them, desperately trying to save a few plates of food slipping off the table.

"Look out!" Gutsy called, grabbing Vexy's arm and pulling her up. The cake that flew in the air landed right in the spot she once rested. Gutsy looked to Vexy to ask if she was all right, but blinked in surprise when he saw her cowering and whimpering a little. He gently released her arm, realizing he may have been holding it kind of tightly. "Are you all right, lassie?"

Vexy looked up and cleared her throat, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"Sorry." Crazy said sincerely.

"I'm fine." Vexy insisted. "Just…..startled…"

"You looked pretty scared." Clumsy noted.

"I think I'm just hungry." Vexy laughed, albeit nervously. "I'll just go eat something that hasn't fallen on the ground." She hurried off, her head down.

"Dere's somethin' wrong with her." Gutsy said.

"She looks so scared all the time." Clumsy said.

"Vexy don't like Smurfs?" Crazy asked worriedly.

"I'm sure she loves us." Clumsy assured.

"She probably jus' needs time ta adjust." Gutsy affirmed. Satisfied, the three Smurfs rejoined the party.

Vexy slowly ate a piece of cake (from another table), berating herself for making such a mess. She wanted to go back to her mushroom house, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Besides, Papa kept giving her these smiles, like he was happy she stuck around. So she smiled back and tried to look brave.

_Everything's fine. _Vexy reassured herself. _Hackus and I are safe now. Gargamel is far, far away from us and he'll never hurt us again. Hackus can romp around like a puppy as much as he wants. I don't have to worry about us getting hurt. _She looked towards Papa Smurf, currently dancing with Smurfette. _I just have to make sure I don't disappoint Papa so he doesn't banish me or Hackus._

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Brainy's scream caused all the Smurfs to pause. Even the musicians stopped playing as Brainy scrambled past them and leaped off the stage. "Smurf for your lives! It's Gargamel!"

Vexy froze, her eyes widening. "No…"

"Brainy, what are you talking about?" Hefty asked. But the sound of heavy footsteps made them all turn, and they gasped at the sight of a shadowy, familiar figure.

"I'll get you rotten Smurfs!" Gargamel shouted gleefully. "I'll get you all!"

"Run fer it, Smurfs!" Farmer shouted. The Smurfs started panicking and scattering, running every which way and shouting. Archer fired arrows towards Gargamel, but they seemed to have no affect. Papa desperately tried to herd his Smurfs to safety, all while thinking of a way to stop Gargamel from taking any of them.

Then, Papa heard a differnet sound. The sound of…..chuckling? He paused and peered behind a mushroom house to see Brainy, Smartette, and Crazy trying to suppress their laughter.

"This is the smurfiest joke yet!" Brainy laughed.

"Jokey and Handy really outdid themselves!" Smartette giggled.

"Jokey!" Crazy cheered. "Handy!"

"Oh really?"

The three of them spun around to see Papa Smurf, his arms cross, his foot tapping, and an eyebrow raised. "Well?"

The three of them looked down. "It's just a joke, Papa." Brainy said. "When the Smurfs see who it really is, we'll all laugh."

Papa rolled his eyes, but then they widened when he noticed something. "Who did you say was in there?"

"About ten other Smurfs." Smartette said. "Handy and Jokey are at the main controls."

"Jokey!" Papa shouted, running towards "Gargamel" as the fake approached Vexy. "Handy! Don't!"

Vexy cowered and shook, stepping back from Gargamel as he approached her. She tripped and fell backwards, but kept scrambling away. "I'm coming for you, Smurf!" Gargamel laughed gleefully. "You'll never escape!"

* * *

"_You will never escape! You are my creation and you will not leave here!" Gargamel screamed as he held Vexy in his fist._

* * *

"No…" Vexy shook her head.

* * *

"_You can't survive without me!" Gargamel smacked Vexy across the room, sending her tumbling across the floor. "You think you can run off without telling me? I have the only thing that lets you live!"_

* * *

Vexy felt tears welling up in her eyes. "No, please…."

* * *

"_You want to live? You want you and your brother to go free?" Gargamel demanded, continuing to send painful electricity through Papa's body. "Then kill him!"_

"_No!" Vexy sobbed, the needle still in her hands. "I can't! I can't kill him!"_

"_Do it now!" Gargamel shouted._

* * *

Out of pure desperation and fear, Vexy suddenly curled into a ball, squeezed her eyes shut, and let out a blood-curdling scream.

Every single Smurf and Smurfette stopped what they were doing and stared in shock. Never in their lives have they heard such a scared….no, purely _terrified_ scream…come from someone's mouth. Yet there Vexy was, shaking uncontrollably and letting out a few more terrified screams.

"Hey!" Handy called as he and Jokey poked their heads out of the hatch in "Gargamel's" head. "Hey! Vexy!"

"It's okay!" Jokey called as they slid down to the Smurfette. "It was just a joke!"

Vexy looked up and saw that the "Gargamel" was only a wooden robot, controlled by the Smurfs that currently filed out of it. The Smurfs tentatively approached Vexy, concern etched in their features. Papa pushed his way through and came up to Vexy.

"Vexy….." Papa said worriedly. Suddenly, Vexy stood and ran off to the trees, that terrified look still on her face.

"Gee, Papa Smurf, we're sorry." Jokey said sadly.

"Yeah, it was just a joke." Handy added.

"It's all right." Papa assured. "All of you smurf back to the party. I will find Vexy and see what I can do." He turned and hurried off after Vexy, hoping she didn't go too far. He searched every tree and every hole, looking for his newest daughter amongst the leaves and roots. Eventually, he discovered Vexy nestled in the roots of a large oak tree, still curled in a ball. Papa tried to be quiet as he walked towards her, but he accidently stepped on a twig and the _snap_ caused Vexy to gasp and look up.

"It's okay." Papa soothed. "It's only me."

Vexy sighed, but she still looked scared. When Papa approached her, she whimpered and cowered. So he sat down and scooted as close as he could without her whimpering. They sat there, in the warm night air with only the moon to give them light. Neither one of them said anything. Papa wanted to get closer to Vexy, but he thought against it. For the longest time, the elder Smurf and the sassy Smurfette sat in silence.

"Do you know what it's like?"

Papa looked to Vexy, a bit surprised and confused at the same time. "What?"

"Do you know what it's like?" Vexy repeated. "To spend every day of your existence afraid for your life and the life of your brother. To be 'born', so to speak, into a family where there's only you, your brother, your cruel father, and a deranged cat that wants to eat you. To constantly try and please your father only to be called a 'deeply disappointing experiment'. To fear for your brother's life because, let's face it, he's not as smart as you; he doesn't understand things the way you do." Papa only watched and listened as tears streamed down Vexy's cheeks and her voice started cracking. "Do you know what it's like to live every day hoping and praying that your father doesn't kill you? To go through unspeakable tortures to spare your brother the pain and to preserve his innocence. To be willing to do anything and everything to spare yourself the pain of never feeling love. To go through a portal, even though you're scared, just to gain some sense of satisfaction for succeeding in a task given to you by your ungrateful father." She wiped her eyes, but more tears came. "My first four years of life have been nothing by a living hell. I almost always had to remind Gargamel to feed me and Hackus essence so we wouldn't die. I knew he could create more of us and I did everything in my power to make sure he didn't get rid of us. And even now, when I'm supposed to have a new home and when I know that Hackus is safe, I can't help but feel scared." She looked to Papa. "I've been having dreams. Dreams about Gargamel and Hackus and you. And in every dream Gargamel forces me to choose between two impossible options. And every morning I wake up screaming." She looked down. "I will always live my life in fear because it's all I've ever known."

Papa sighed as Vexy continued to cry. He reached for Vexy, but she flinched at his hand. "Vexy. Vexy, look at me." Vexy slowly raised her head to look at Papa. "Vexy, I am not going to hurt you. I promise." He slowly moved over until he was right next to Vexy and put his arms around her. Vexy tensed, her mind flashing back to when Gargamel would clutch her in his tight grip and make it hard to breathe. But when Papa held her close, she gasped softly in surprise at the gentle and warm grip he had on her. She let her body relax, and she moved closer. Papa smiled and gave her a soft squeeze, rubbing her back soothingly. "Vexy, you and Hackus are my little Smurfs now. It doesn't matter that Gargamel made you. You are my children." He pulled away and wiped a few stray tears from Vexy's eyes. "Do you know what that means?"

Vexy shook her head small.

"It means, as your papa, I am responsible for protecting you from _anything _that would want to harm you." Papa explained. "Especially Gargamel. If he ever came back, I will always be there to protect you and help you."

Vexy sniffed. "Promise?"

"Cross my heart." Papa smiled warmly. He pulled Vexy into another fatherly embrace; one she gladly returned. "I love you, my precious daughter."

Vexy felt more tears on her cheeks, but these were tears of joy. "I love you too, Papa."

Papa Smurf chuckled warmly and stood up. "Come on. Why don't we smurf back to the others? It's not a party unless everysmurf's there." He held out his hand, and this time Vexy didn't flinch. She cautiously took it, and she was surprised once more by Papa's gentle grip. She allowed him to lead her back to the dance, where all the Smurfs greeted her warmly. Vexy smiled sincerely and gladly joined Papa for a dance. She felt safe when she stood next to Papa and near all her new brothers and sisters. Her thoughts about Gargamel disappeared. She didn't worry about the pain he would bring if he caught her or her family.

For that wondrous night, and for many more nights following, Vexy felt no more fear.


End file.
